Discussing new ways to meet the needs of law firm clients, mediation parties, negotiators, and law students.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Week 7: Mid-Term Exams Required Some Flexibility on My Part

Best-Laid Plans

of Mice and Men . . . .

This week, I had planned to take students through a second CREAC exercise to get them ready for the CREAC Test later in the week.I wrote a new exercise that was more similar to the problem the students would analyze on the test. They would apply Qatari trade name and trademark law to two restaurants using a very similar trade name: "The Oryx Diner" and "The Oryx Diner on-the-Go."

At the beginning of the week, I ran through about 50 of the slides I had prepared. Before you gasp in horror, please know that 50 percent of each slide is a photo or other image. I still had about 20 more slides to discuss before students would feel more confident about the CREAC Test.

In the meantime, many of the students had four or more exams this week. They were feeling overwhelmed, over-worked, and a little hopeless.

Because of some scheduling issues, students in my afternoon class had exams scheduled during my class! So, they were missing the test prep I was providing. Then, I learned that half of them had another exam scheduled the same day I planned to give my CREAC Test.At that point, I surrendered to the situation. I offered both male and female students the opportunity to take the test next week when their mid-term exam schedule begins to quiet. The relief they expressed almost had a tangible quality to it. If I had made the announcement in a Facebook video, you would have seen those images of a thumbs up and hearts floating across the page. I had made myself their hero.

As an ADR expert, I was mindful that I had my own interests at stake. I needed to give students a chance to integrate the lessons and apply them in some homework before the CREAC Test. I wanted their first drafts of their first CREAC to be reasonably successful. It makes my life a lot easier during the second half of the semester. Not only that, I really did not want to grade a bunch of exams right before I took off for my trip to Australia for an ADR conference.In short, I met many non-competing interests in postponing the exam. Win-win, blah, blah, blah . . . .

About Me

She helps people learn the skills they need to lead happier lives, solve problems effectively, and resolve conflict holistically with wisdom, skill, and heart.

The Virginia Mediation Network
(VMN), the largest statewide group of mediation practitioners, trainers, and
scholars gave her its first Distinguished Mediator Award in 2010. Who’s Who
in America recognizes her as among top
executives and professionals. Martindale-Hubbell
lists her as an AV-Rated Preeminent
Woman Lawyer with highest peer ratings for legal ability and ethics
(2002-2013).

She works as a Clinical Professor
of Law at Qatar University College of Law. She teaches legal research and writing, group facilitation, negotiation, mediation, arbitration, dispute resolution
system design, environmental dispute resolution, and insurance
practice.

Before
she joined academia, Prof. Young was a partner
in a St. Louis law firm -- McCarthy Leonard -- providing nearly 20 years of
experience as a commercial dispute litigator, mediator, and arbitrator
specializing in contract disputes, insurance, reinsurance, and energy law. Before that, Prof. Young practiced as an
associate in one of the largest law firms in the world - Skadden Arps – in its Washington, D.C. office engaged in an oil and
gas and public utility law
practice. She also worked in the Energy
Department of the largest law firm in
Oklahoma after graduating from law school.

Prof. Young has written over 50 law
review publications, book chapters, book reviews, and op-ed articles on
mediation, arbitration, insurance law, and energy law. Her
publications appear in law journals, bar journals, and at mediate.com.